Combination-ladder.



H. SERRELL, DEGD. A. E. :31 A. H. SBRRELL, BXEOUTORS. COMBINATIONLADDER.

APPLICATION FILED 0073.11, 1912. 1,09 ,39 Patented May 12, 1914.

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H. SERRELL, DEC'D.

A. 1:. & A. H. SEREELL, zxnou'rons.

COMBINATION LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED 00111 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

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E STATES ATEN OFFICE.

HAROLD SERRELL, OF NORTH PLAIN FIELD, NEW JERSEY; ANNA ELIZA SEE/BELLAND ARTHUR HAROLD SERRELL EXECUTORS OF SAID HAROLD SERRELL, DECEASED.

COMBINATION-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD SERRELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Ilainfield, in the county of Somerset and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCombination-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to a combination ladder structure. This may bemade of small size, adapted for use as a toy, particularly with a toycircus, or it may be made of large size and adapted for the use ofartisans and laborers, such as painters, paper hangers or masons, or forthe use of gymnasts and acrobats in the performance of tricks, feats ofstrength and exercises.

The object of my invention is the provision of a combined ladderstructure composed of a plurality of units and which are useful as unitsand which may be assembled in combinations for useful purposes and foramusement.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a main ladder member or unit, andone or more auxiliary ladder members or units, by the employment ofwhich the main ladder member or unit may be placed in an inclinedposition or elevated into a hori zontal position, as a platform orscaffold, and the parts are so constructed that an interlockingengagement for connection and support takes place between the mainladder unit and the auxiliary ladder or ladder units. lVhen thus broughttogether, a firm connection is made which is even augmented by weightplaced thereon. tion and disconnection is made without the employment ofother devices and are made with the ladder members or units.

I make the main ladder member or unit narrower than the auxiliary ladderor ladder members, and I project the ends of certain rounds or rungs ofthe main ladder beyond the parallel sides and I employ clip pieces orhook blocks upon the ends of the sides of the main ladder beyond theprojecting rungs. In connecting the parts, the main ladder passesbetween the sides of the auxiliary ladder or ladders and the clip piecesthereof engage an upper round or rung of the auxiliary ladder, while thesides of the auxiliary ladder bear against the projecting ends of theround of the main ladder and the auxiliary ladder occupies an The connecobtuse angle to the main ladder. There are also other features of theinvention, all of which I will hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the deviceof my invention as assembled complete. Fig. 2 is a partial section andelevation at the point of connection of the main and one of theauxiliary ladders. .ltig. 3 is an elevation at the upper end of twoauxiliary ladders, shown separated in Fig. 1, and which form a pyramidalstructure. Fig. l is a side elevation illustrating an application of thefeatures of my invention for acrobatic or trick demonstration, in whichthe main and auxiliary ladders in F 1 are elevated and reversed in thepyramidal structure shown in Fig. 3, and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 arediagrammatic elevations hereinafter described.

The main ladder or unit comprises the sides a a and the rounds or rungsbetween and connecting the same. This main ladder or unit may be made ofany desired length or width or weight, according to the uses for whichthe same is to be employed.

In Fig. 1, I have shown the rounds or rungs in groups, that is therounds or rungs b, the projecting rounds or rungs b at the ends, and thecenter rounds or rungs I). I have also shown, at the respective ends ofthe sides a a, clip pieces or hook blocks 0 in close proximity to therounds or rungs b that have the ends projecting beyond the sides a a Asshown, these clip pieces or hook blocks are of suitable material, suchas cast metal, each with a hollow portion receiving the reduced end of aside and secured thereto by fastening devices, such as rivets, passingthrough the parts. The lower portions of these clip pieces or hookblocks as hooks are adapted to engage and fit partly around the upperround or rung of one of the auxiliary ladders, or any one of the rungs.

I do not limit my invention to the form of the clip pieces or hookblocks 0 0 as they may be made in some other form than that shown,notwithstanding the fact that the form shown is probably the mostconvenient.

c and f are the auxiliary ladders. They may be of any length or weightof material and in width are preferably slightly wider between the innerfaces of the longitudinal members than the over-all width of the mainladder or unit. They should occupy, with reference to the main ladder,an inclined position as shown. The under surfaces of the parallelmembers of these auxiliary ladders bear against the projecting ends ofthe rounds or rungs b simultaneous with the engagement by the clippieces or hook blocks of the desired rounds of the auxiliary ladders.This engagement is brought about by placing the auxiliary ladders, withreference to the main ladder, in the opposite inclination to that shownin Fig. 1 with their lower ends nearer together, so as to slip the upperround into engagement with the clip pieces or hook blocks 0 0 and thenwhen the auxiliary ladders are moved out at the base into the positionshown in Fig. 1, they come into engagement with the projecting ends ofthe rounds or rungs b and a firm locking contact and engagement is thusformed which is even increased by any weight that is put upon the mainladder or unit.

While I have shown in the drawing the main ladder or unit and the twoauxiliary ladders which support the main ladder as a platform in anelevated position, it is quite apparent that if one of these auxiliaryladders were taken away, that one end of the main ladder or unit couldrest upon the ground and the main ladder, occupy an inclined positionsupported at the higher end by one auxiliary ladder ust the same.

As shown in Fig. 1, all the assembled parts are eminently adapted as atoy for use with a circus outfit, as the same are made and well known inthe toy market, and with this form of ladder it will be not-iced thatthe rounds or rungs b at the center of the main ladder are projectedconsiderably beyond the sides a a and have connected with them side bars(Z d which form a central w-idthwise extension to the ladder. In thisconnection, I have also shown other auxiliary ladders g h, each formedwith bracket pieces 2 23 secured to the under surfaces of the sidemembers at corresponding ends thereof. These bracket pieces haveabutting faces adapted to come together, as shown in Fig. 3, and also inFig. 4, to bring these ladders g It into inclined or pyramidal form, andtherewith I have shown and prefer to employ cap pieces a 5, sides ofwhich extend over and are secured to similar ends of the sides of oneauxiliary ladder, as h in Fig. 1, and the other sides of these cappieces are adapted to receive similar ends of the other auxiliaryladder, as g, in which case the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 is effected.In this, the meeting faces of the bracket faces 2 3 come together anddetermine the incline or angle of the ladder with reference to oneanother, and a locking pin. secured by a chain and staple are adapted topass through the cap piece into the removable section of the ladders.hen separated, these auxiliary ladders g it may be used as shown inFig. 1. When brought together and secured, they may be used right sideup or upside down upon or in connection with the main ladder or unit, oras shown in Fig. 4, the main ladder or unit and the auxiliary ladders cf may be reversed, and by their center round or rung be supported uponthe cap pieces a 5 at the upper ends of the ladders g 72, in the halfround parts of said cap pieces, shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, and in thisway the main ladder and auxiliary ladders f become a see-saw foracrobatic or trick performers or in a similar capacity as a toy withcircus parts.

As a full size ladder, the device of my invention is very useful forartisans, such as paper hangers, painters, and masons, be-- cause a.main ladder or unit, short or long, may be employed with auxiliaryladders e f, short or long, as a scafl old in their work, it being quitepossible in the main ladder to lay boards upon the rounds of the mainladder to complete the platform, and in this connection the ladder maystill be used, as shown in Fig. 1, with one or both other auxiliaryladders g h as a means of reaching the level of the platform.

It goes without saying that the length of the auxiliary ladders e fdetermines the height to which the main ladder or unit is elevated as aplatform, and also according to the use desired the main ladder or unitmay be made long or short.

It is a fact that painters, paper hangers and masons, in their work,frequently employ two ordinary step-ladders and put a board betweenthem. This is unhandy and the board is of less strength as a supportthan is frequently desired. In the stairway of a house, it would not bepossible to employ two step-ladders with boards between to advantage,but the device of my invention could be used to advantage, because oneshort auxiliary ladder, as 6, could be employed with one long auxiliaryladder as f,

and the main ladder or unit be supported thereby, the long ladderreaching to the foot of the stairs and the short ladder upon thelanding, as shown in Fig. 5, and in this way the ceiling of the stairwayand the side walls thereof can be reached for the work of painter andpaper hanger, or one auxiliary ladder could be engaged at any place inits length leaving a part reaching above the main ladder.

Fig. 6 illustrates that in one of the combinations of my improvedladder, that the main ladder or unit short of its prescribed ends may beconnected with the auxiliary ladders at any desired or convenientportion of their length either in the full line position of theseauxiliary ladders or in the dotted position, while Fig. 7 shows the mainladder or unit supported at an inclination by one auxiliary ladder atone end.

It further goes Without saying that in any of the combinations which canbe made or erected with the device of my invention, that the auxiliaryladders, either or both, can be utilized by a Workman for access to themain ladder or unit as a platform.

I claim as my invention:

1. A combination ladder comprising a main part having the ends of a rungprojecting beyond the side members thereof, an auxiliary part the sidesof which are adapted to bear against the projecting ends of the saidrung, and means associated with the main part and adapted to engage theauxiliary part so that the said parts are connected by the engagementbetween the said means and the auxiliary part and the bean ing of theauxiliary part against the said projecting ends of the rung of the mainpart.

2. A combination ladder comprising a main part having the ends of a rungprojecting beyond the side members of the main part, hook engagingdevices on the said side members of the main part, and an auxiliary partadapted to bear against the projecting ends of the said rung and to beengaged by the said hook engaging devices to support the said main part.

3. A combination ladder comprising a main part having the ends of a rungadjacent the ends of the main part projecting beyond the side membersthereof, hook engaging devices at the ends of the said side members, andan auxiliary part adapted at one end to bear against the projecting endsof the said rung and to be engaged by the said hook engaging devices forsupporting the said main part at one end by the auxiliary. part.

l. A combination ladder comprising a main part having the ends of a rungadjacent each end of the main part projecting beyond the side membersthereof, hook engaging devices at the respective ends of the said sidemembers at both ends of the main part, and two auxiliary parts bothadapted at one end to bear upon the respective projectingends of thesaid rungs of the main ladder, and simultaneously to be engaged by thesaid hook engaging devices at the respective ends of the main part forsupporting the main part at both ends by the said auxiliary parts.

Signed by me this 7th day of October, 1912.

HAROLD SERR ELL.

Witnesses Bnn'rI-m M. ALLEN, J. B. Ln BLANC.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C."

